A low-growing hardy annual herb, chervil has a very long cropping period, much like its cousin parsley. Its maximum height is 30cm so it makes a perfect herb for edging beds and borders.

Growing: Sow seeds where you want the plants to grow; chervil is another herb that doesn't like to be transplanted. Either scatter the seed straight on the ground and leave them to fend for themselves, or cover very lightly with soil or vermiculite. Germination of chervil is fairly quick and you can expect to see your seedlings appear approximately 10-15 days after sowing. Thin out to approximately 25cm apart when they are about 5cm in height. Chervil prefers well-drained soil with a pH of between 6.5-7.5. Grow this herb in tubs if your soil pH is greater than 7.5.

Problems and benefits: Chervil is a good companion plant for radishes. The only major pests to trouble chervil are aphids, which can be removed by using a quick blast of water from your hosepipe or by spraying with an organic insecticide.